Assessing methane emissions from an offshore marine aggregate extraction site near Sylt, Eastern North Sea

Schmidt, Martina; Bussmann, Ingeborg; Reith, Sarah J. E.; Palzer, Annika; Couret, Cedric; Keppler, Frank; Polag, Daniela; Sander, Lasse; Schroll, Moritz; Wietzel, Julia B.

doi:10.5194/bg-23-5095-2026

Articles | Volume 23, issue 14

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5095-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5095-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 14

Research article

|

24 Jul 2026

Research article |

| 24 Jul 2026

Assessing methane emissions from an offshore marine aggregate extraction site near Sylt, Eastern North Sea

Martina Schmidt, Ingeborg Bussmann, Sarah J. E. Reith, Annika Palzer, Cedric Couret, Frank Keppler, Daniela Polag, Lasse Sander, Moritz Schroll, and Julia B. Wietzel

Data sets

Assessing methane emissions from an offshore marine aggregate extraction site near Sylt, Eastern North Sea [data] Martina Schmidt et al. https://doi.org/10.11588/DATA/SEQZGB

Dissolved methane concentration and diffusive flux near Sylt, North Sea in summer 2023 [dataset] Ingeborg Bussmann https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.995741

Model code and software

ICOS ATC CH4 Release from Westerland (14.0 m) C. Couret and M. Schmidt https://hdl.handle.net/11676/FfF9lAK8yXSH1Bqa7r2Acpbu

Short summary

Methane (CH₄) measurements near a sand dredging site off Sylt (North Sea) revealed elevated concentrations in both air and water, particularly during summer. CH₄ fluxes were significantly higher at the dredging site compared to surrounding areas. Isotopic signatures suggest a microbial origin. These findings indicate that coastal sand extraction may represent a previously unaccounted source of atmospheric CH₄.